Foam Rollers – Do You Use Them?

Good Evening Everyone,

How many times have you walked by the functional training areas and saw that long foam cylinder and wondered what it is?  Why is that person over there rocking back and forth on it?  Should I use it?

For those people that do know what it is…How often do you use it?  If you answered like most people then the answer was probably the same as if you ask “How often do you really stretch?”  Which is typically answered “Whenever I have the time.”  People really underestimate the importance of stretching and under utilize (in my opinion) one of the best pieces of equipment at the gym: The Foam Roller.

Anyone that knows me, know that I swear by foam rollers and lacrosse balls to relieve tension in my muscles.  My better half routinely gets angry at my answer when she requests a massage due to her back being sore…”try and foam roll it sweetheart.”   My goal of this article is to show exactly why you should start using one, how to use one, and provide some tips that I have found helpful regarding foam rolling.

The Why:

My old boss always would tell us that once you explain “The Why” then it makes “The How” a lot easier to comprehend.  So we will start there.

Just under the skin there is a layer of tissue that connects the muscles, nerves, bloods vessels and bones.  This tissue is called the superficial fascia.  The fascia and muscle tissue can get stuck together due to injuries, over training, lack of stretching and/or under use (sitting in a chair at your desk all day).  This can result in tenderness of the muscles and lack of flexibility or range of motion.

By placing soft, slow and constant pressure on the tissue while applying traction to the fascia you will start to breakdown the scar tissue between the skin, muscles and bones.  This is a slow process that can be painful at first.  However, benefits are outstanding.

Benefits include:

• Relief of joint and muscle pains
• Injury prevention
• Increase of flexibility and range of motion
• Form of rehabilitation

The How:

A lot of people will ask the question of “what areas of the body can I use this technique on to relieve soreness?”  Well you can essentially attack any part of your body with a foam roller to release the under lining scar tissue.  It is advised that you do stay away from a few areas which include your  joints (example: the back of the knee) and directly on the bone.  The most popular areas where people see the most benefits from include glutes, hamstrings, IT bands and upper back.

Here are some things to remember while you are foam rolling.

• Make sure you are not rocking your weight back and forth quickly.  It should be a slow, steady and controlled movement no matter what muscle you are rolling out.
• Once you find a painful trigger place that feels painful you should pause and hold it on that spot for a period of time (typical practice is 15-30 seconds).
• It has been reported that you will find better results if you start at the center of your body and work towards your extremities.  Personally, I like to start at my feet and go all the way up to my back and finish with my triceps and forearms.

The following video is one that I have found that is great for showing details on each exercise and I think she does a great job on explaining technique.   (Yes…I know it is done by LivestrongWoman but I really believe this is 100% transferable for men.)

Some things to think about regarding Myofascial Release:

If there is ONE thing that I could drill into your mind regarding foam rolling it would be that it is NOT supposed to be a fun ride that you swing back and forth recklessly.  This should be slow movement that will indeed hurt at times.  That pain that you feel is the breaking down of scar tissue and means it is working.  On top of that, here are some other things to remember:

• This is a much cheaper alternative to sports massages that can be done at home.  You can find them on amazon realatively cheap

• I have personally found success in breaking down scar tissue in those hard to reach areas using Lacrosse balls as well.  Tennis balls seem to be to soft.  This seems to work great on the upper back right in between the shoulder blades.
•  Try and foam roller directly after working out when your muscles are still warm.  However, it is important to to foam roll at least every other day while training.
• Just like if you were getting a deep tissue or sports massage, you should refrain from drinking anything but water for a while after foam rolling.
• Foam rollers do come in different levels of density depending on how sensitive you are.  Start with a soft roller and slowly adjust yourself to a firmer roller.

Until Next Time…

Ryan

P.S.  I have been working on my 1 month progress report (which was actually due like 6 days ago) but I have had some hold ups.  I will say that it is for sure coming and will be my next article!  Quick question though…are full body progression pics necessary for the article or are you just interested in my progress and what I have done to get there thus far?